cast bullets in the 308 ?

[catkiller45]

Maybe a silly thing to want to try,but i'm game if you guys have the info....

I have a 308 savage with a 30 inch barrel and 1/10 twist I have just built..

I play around at a local club shooting F Class matchs at 250 yards is all..

Just for the fun of it I would like to try some cast bullets at that distance to
see how well,they would do.I have some 5744 powder on hand,but maybe you
all might suggest something different..I have no idea which bullet would be a
good choice. That why I am turning to you pro's for the best ideas on this..

Also I do not cast any more and will have to buy the bullets..So perhaps you
can point me in the right direction for this as well..I would think I would want
a gas check bullet..I think it would be a fun thing to see just what this rifle
will do with them at the 250 yards or do you think this is asking to much?

I will appreciate hearing from you on this...Thanks,John in Alpine NY:Fire::Fire:

[Bodine]

If u use a 200 or so grain bullet, gc with around 28grs of powder and give your scope a zero at 100 yards, add about 6 maybe 6 1/3 minutes of elevation you should be able to hit pretty good. You may need to use a RCBS 180 gr bullet that is a borerider to keep the base of the bullet in the neck to make it work.

[HARRYMPOPE]

it will work fine.Your powder choice will work well to about 1800fps after that i prefer 4895 or varget etc...No need to go much faster IMHO though.Now to pick a bullet design? I like the RCBS 180 SP and have shot it at 300 yards.The 311299 is also nice.At 300 yards in a 308 sporter rifle 4" is not asking too much.Most of it depends on wind reading.


ditto on the above post to get a 200 zero form 100 .Add another 6 MOA and you will be on at 300 yards(pretty close anyhow)
George

[catkiller45]

THAT was fast answers and well appreciated..Now to ask...Is there some place where I might
be able to purchase some of these to experiment with..Thanks again..

[Wayne S]

John,
For what you will spend on store bought bullets it won't take long to spend more that a low costing casting sst up would cost.
First, you need to slug the throat of your chamber so you will know what Dia. bullets to look for. You want bullets that measure at or .001 over your throats Dia. more is better than less.
You will also need a way to put a slight flair to the case mouth, they are usually referred to as M dies.
Measure the inside of a fired case mouth, since it is a custom bbl/chamber you might not need the "M-die"

[starmac]

THAT was fast answers and well appreciated..Now to ask...Is there some place where I might
be able to purchase some of these to experiment with..Thanks again..

Contact fellow member bullshop, I'm betting he would fix you up custom sized to your rifle.

[frnkeore]

If u use a 200 or so grain bullet, gc with around 28grs of powder and give your scope a zero at 100 yards, add about 6 maybe 6 1/3 minutes of elevation you should be able to hit pretty good. You may need to use a RCBS 180 gr bullet that is a borerider to keep the base of the bullet in the neck to make it work.

bodine,
are you suggesting 28 gr of 5744? the op says that is his only powder and you give no powder refference to the 28 gr you suggest. i've never used that powder but, i think it's just a little slower than 4227.

28 gr is used a lot with 4895/varget type/speed powders.

frank

[catkiller45]

John,
For what you will spend on store bought bullets it won't take long to spend more that a low costing casting sst up would cost.
First, you need to slug the throat of your chamber so you will know what Dia. bullets to look for. You want bullets that measure at or .001 over your throats Dia. more is better than less.
You will also need a way to put a slight flair to the case mouth, they are usually referred to as M dies.
Measure the inside of a fired case mouth, since it is a custom bbl/chamber you might not need the "M-die"

Wayne---I appreciate your comment about casting my own...But for right now,I just want to try some to see how
well they might work..And then maybe later cast my own..So are you saying I want to run a slug from the chamber up thru the barrel?
If it is a true 308 which I am guessing it should be.(SHILEN) barrel I would think a .309 would work?

[Wayne S]

Wayne---So are you saying I want to run a slug from the chamber up thru the barrel?

NO, With "bolt guns" what I do is take a culled bullet that measures .312+ drop it into the chamber, then I take a 1/4" brass rod or wooden dowel to tap the bullet a few times then using a cleaning rod with a flat tip jag tap the bullet out of the chamber, the bullet should have been swagged into the throat enough to get a measurement. You can also use an "egg" sinker as long as it's OD is greater that .310

[HARRYMPOPE]

My 1-12 Shilen rifling is fairly shallow and .310 x .301 bullet shoots well.

[Wayne S]

Kat Killer,
PM me your mail to Add. and I'll send you some samples.

[John Boy]

Here's what I read in the 1949 Ideal Handbook:

The Ideal 311413 ... Squibb gas-check bullet for the Springfield and other 30-06 rifles. Perhaps the most accurate gas-check bullet yet produced. Excellent for target practice up to 600yds

Note the words ... most accurate and up to 600 yards
So, I watched eBay 'hard' for that mold and was lucky to win a bid on the 311413, then - cast a 100 - put GC's on them and reload 20 with the powder charge in the 1949 Handbook

I had the pleasure to shoot it ...
http://www.three-peaks.net/images/311413_169g.gif

... after our 2 day Lever Action Silhouette Match at Ridgway.

Winchester M94, 30-30, Williams peep and a too fat diopter pin on the front sight (which I'm replacing)
Ideal 311413 - Brinell 15.3 - 170.8gr
16.5gr IMR 4759

A box of 20:
* got the 0.481" setting for the 300m pigs - downed 3 in a row
* got the 0.700" setting for the 500m rams - (an approximate 7 inch, 5 shot group on the 500m swinger per my spotter) and then downed 1 ram ... no more rounds


I'm a believer ... 500 meters = 546 yards! :)

[Dthunter]

Check some of my posts and threads for shooting cast in the .308win.
With information gathered here on cast boolets, experience, and many hours loading and testing, I have had some great results.
Primarily I have tested with Lyman#311299, 311644,311291.
Hope this information helps.

[pbcaster45]

I used commercial cast bullets from Leadhead before getting my own mold. Haven't tried it at 200 yards yet and I'm not sure if using filler was such a great idea - lots of extra work!

59421

[MKastning]

Good response, and my recommendation would fall in line. I have been using 5744 for the last few years in 30-06, and .308 behind the 311299. Sized properly, it will definitely suit your needs at 250yds. I am generally loading to under 20 grains though.

Best 5 shot group to date has been just under .7". 100yds. 1903A3 issue Iron sights. The same load and rifle has been shooting in the 4" range at 300, but I suspect the group would tighten if I could see better that far.

Let me know if I can send you some samples of the 311299, or 314299 once you have a size to diameter figured out.

Michael